Feed mechanism of machine and like automatic guns



Aug. 28, 1945. J. DOBREMYSL, I 2,383,780

FEED MECHANISM MACHINE AND LIKE AUTOMATIC GUNS Filed March 4, 1941 ZSheets-Sheet 1 IN V EN TOR. JOSEF DOBRE M YSL Aug. 28, 1 945. J. DOBREMYSL 2,383,780

FEED MECHANISM OF MACHINE AND LIKE AuToMA'r Ip suns heei 2 Filed Mal-2m 4, 1941 :FIGS.

' INMENToR. 1055f DOEEEMYJA.

Patented Aug. 28, 1945 AUTOMATIC GUNS FEED MECHANISM OF MACHINE AND LIKE Josef Dobi'emysl, Cambridge, England Application March 4, 1941, Serial No. 381,654 vIn Great Britain November 9, 1939 2 Claims.

This invention relates to feed mechanism of machine and like automatic guns of the kind in which the cartridges are fed successively into the loading position by means of a belt and in which thebelt is moved by means of one or more feeding pawls and held in position by means of one or more retaining pawls, mounted above and below the belt respectivelyor vice versa.

It happens sometimes that the feed mechanism becomes jammed or inoperative and apart from the exigency of the moment it is imperative for other reasons for the mechanism to be released as quickly as possible, one important reason being the risk of premature ex tridge when the barrel is hot.

In the absence of some other provisions for releasing the belt it is necessary to open the cover of the breech and to disengage the pawls by hand. This method besidesbeing highly dangerous is also slow and inconvenient.

I am aware, however, that it has already been proposed to provide for the release of the pawls by means of pins or press buttons. This arrangement has the disadvantage that it is very difiicult, and in the case of guns of large calibre, quite impossible to operate both push buttons or pins si multaneously by one hand.

I am aware, however, that in guns of a certain type it has already been proposed to provide for the release of the pawls by means of a single lever release device in which a spindle rotatably mounted in the feed block and having cams adapted to act on feeding and retaining pawls arranged below the cartridge belt, is operated by a lever or trigger. vice, for both sets of pawls is mounted at a fixed position on the gun, but the disadvantage of this arrangement is that the device engages the feeding pawl only in its final position when it has completed the feeding operation; in all other positions the feeding pawl is out of engagement with the release device so that if it is necessary to release the belt in some intermediate position on the feed path the release device is useless.

The object ofthe invention is to enable the operation of releasing the belt to be carried out in any position which the feeding mechanism may assumev during its operation and to facilitate such operation.

In feed mechanism of the kind herein referred to for machine and like automatic guns, embodying this invention, there is associated with the This single lever release deplosion of the'carfeeding and retaining pawls, means whereby both pawls can be simultaneously released from engagement with the cartridgebelt in any position which the feeding mechanism may assume duringoperation. 7

According to the invention the feeding pawl is provided with an inclined surface adapted for co-operation with a complementary surface on or operated by a'releasing device, said comple may be formed as a slidable rod or the like, hav-' ing'a'n' orifice, a slot or a'cut out portion, provided 'with an inclined side wall, said rod being subjected at one "sideto the action of a lever arm firmlyconnected with the releasing organ for the other pawl; and on the other side to the a'ction 'of a spring, urging the rod in the direction towards the arm of the lever. I f f A The tooth of the releasing organ for the feeding pawl has its working incline of such width that it positively engages the inclined surface of the feeding pawl in any point of its feeding path.

The rocking movement of thetooth of the releasing organ for the feeding pawl may be l1m-' ited, preferably by an abutment which'is movable together with the feeding carriage. In a preferred embodiment of theinvention this abutment is formed by the wall of a groove which serves'to impart driving movement to the feeding'carriage.

, Theitwo releasing organs for the retaining and feeding pawls respectively may be actuated by a single control member.

Ina further embodiment in which'the feeding carriage is mounted in the cover of the gun the feeding pawl is provided with an incline co-operating' with .a correspondin incline on a slide shiftable by the releasing lever, said lever being provided with a tooth depressing a transmitting r member or rod, whichactuates a cam mounted on the shaft of the retaining pawl.

The accompanying drawings represent by'way of example two embodiments of the invention.

Figure 1 shows in front view andpartially in section a part of the feeding device of an automatic gun provided with a releasing device according to the invention.

Figure 2 is the respective plan view from which the retaining. pawland the cover have been omitted for better understanding.

Figure 3 shows the releasing mechanism for the feeding pawl in a diagrammatic side view.

Fig. 4 shows in a diagrammatic plan view the retaining pawl of the cartridge feeding device and the single actuating lever of the releasing device with the transmission elements between the retaining pawl and the actuating lever.

Fig. 5 is a sectional side view of the device illustrated inFig. 4.

Fig. 6 is a view of a further modification of the invention.

The cartridge belt I is fed into the gun by a feeding pawl 2, having a lower part2a. The pawl 2 is rotatably mounted on the bolt 3 in the feeding carriage 4. The cartridges are held in position by a retaining pawl 5, mounted'on a bolt 6 which is fixed in the cover I of the gun. The pawls 2 and 5 are pressed by their'respective Springs 8 and 9 into engagement with the belt I, or with the cartridges.

The belt can be readily released when required by rocking the two pawls 2 and 5 out of engagement therewith. The feeding pawl 2 has an incline 30 on its lower end, as shown in Figure 3. The incline 30 is in engagement with an incline 3| of the tooth [0, which is rigidly mounted on the bolt II. The width of the tooth I is such to make the tooth positively engage the lower end of the pawl 2 at any point of its movement.

The bolt H is rotatably mounted in a bearing I2 fixed on the gun. A handle l3, extending on its other end into a lever arm I4 is secured to the upper end of the bolt II. A rod l5, see Figures 4 and 5, is positioned in the path of the lever arm l4. The rod I has a cut out portion l6 (Figs. I

4 and 5) into which the part. 40 of the retaining pawl 5 extends. The cut out portion [6 has an inclined wall 4| (Fig. 5) capable of cooperating with the incline 42 (Fig. 5) of the part 40 of the retainin pawl 5.. A spring I! is arranged on the other side of the rod l5, pressing the rod towards the lever arm 14.

During normal operation of the gun the tooth I0 is out of the path of the end of the pawl 2, and the incline is out of engagement with the pawl 5. In order to release the belt, the handle 13 is swung in the direction of the arrows shown in Figures 2 -ande. As a result of this movement the tooth l0 penetrates under the rear end of the pawl 2 and. swings the pawl counterclockwise out of engagement with the belt I. This swinging movement of the pawl 2 is positively'accomplished in any position which the pawl 2 may assume on its feeding path, because the tooth I0 is always rocked as far as to bring the pawl 2 to the completely rocked position. In this position the tooth strikes an abutment [8 (Fig. 2) forming a part of a feeding carriage of known construction and movable with it. In the example shown in Figs. 1 and 2 the abutment I8 is formed by the wall ill of the driving groove 45 (Fig. 2) of said feeding carriage. In this groove 45 known means are arranged for imparting the feeding movement to the feeding carriage, The operator swings the handle l3 as far as the abutment l8 allows.

Simultaneously with the handle 13 the lever arm [4 also swings out and presses the rod 15 in the direction of the arrow, in Figure 4. The incline of the slot [6 in the rod 15 presses down the rear end of the pawl 5, so that the pawl 5 swings out of the path of the belt, into the position represented in dotted lines in Figure 1. In this way the belt is entirely released and may be pulled out of the gun. The handle l3 may then be brought back to the original position, thus causing the pawls 2 and 5 to slide down from the respective inclines and return to their operative positions under the influence of their respective springs.

It can be seen from the foregoing that accord.- ing to the invention only one operation is required to release the belt I, namely, by the rocking of the handle l3. The handle I3 being mounted in the bearing I2, remains in the same position on the gun and the operator does not need to look for it, as is necessary in certain kinds of firearms, where one of the buttons to be pressed, in order to release the belt, changes its position together with the feeding carriage. Any opening of the cover or removal of any other part of the gun is entirely avoided.

It is obvious that the device according to the invention may be used for feeding mechanisms operating from either side of the gun,

Itis also obvious that the releasing organ of the retaining pawl 5 need not be formed by a separate rod I5. The lever arm l4 may be provided with an extension or shaped in such a way to depress said retaining pawl when swung into oper ative position.

Figure 6 represents another embodiment of the invention as applied to a gun of a type in which.

the feeding carriage is arranged in the cover.

The cartridge belt consisting of links is fed into the gun by a feeding pawl 2 I, mounted on and movable with the feeding carriage (not shown) and isretained in it position by a retaining pawl 22. The feeding pawl is provided with an inclined surface 23, co-operating with a corresponding inclined surface on a slide 24. The slide 24 may be moved against the incline 23 by a lever 25, pivotally mounted at 26 on the gun (not shown).

-The shaft of the retaining pawl is provided with'a finger or cam 21 co-operating with a rod 28, the upper end of which co-operates with an inclined surface or tooth 29 on the lever 25.

The belt can be instantly released when required or necessary by rocking the lever in the direction of the arrow A. By this movement the slide 24 i shifted against the incline 23, thus rocking the feeding pawl 2| out of engagement with the link 20, as indicated. b the arrows in Figure 6. At the same time the tooth 29 depresses the rod 28 which in turn rotates the cam N, and, by the intermediary of the shaft, the retaining pawl in the direction of the arrow, leaving the ibElt free for removal from the gun.

I claim:

1. An automatic gun having a frame, a feeding carriage slidable in said frame, a feeding pawl movable with and pivotally mounted on said carriage for engagement with a cartridge belt, aretaining pawl pivotally mounted on said frame for engagement with said cartridge belt, a first arm rigidly connected to said feeding pawl and pivotally movable therewith, a second arm having a surface inclined at an acute angle to the pivotal axis of and connected rigidly to said retaining pawl, an actuating lever pivotally mounted on said frame having two lever arms thereon, a slide member slida'bly mounted on said frame having an inclined portion disposed adjacent the inclined surface of said second arm, means biasing said slide member toward one of said two lever arms, motion transmitting means interposed between the other of said two lever arms and said first arm, said actuatinglever being movable to actuate said slide member and said motion transmitting means to rock said retaining pawl by engagement of said inclined portion with said inclined surface, and to rock said feeding pawl by engagement of said motion transmitting means and said first arm, respectively.

2. An automatic gun having a frame; a feeding carriage slidable in said frame, a feeding pawl movable with and pivotally mounted on said carriage for engagement with a cartridge belt, a retaining pawl pivotally mounted on said frame for engagement with said cartridge belt, a first arm rigidly connected to said feeding pawl and pivotally movable therewith, a second arm connected rigidl to said retaining pawl and having a surface inclined at an acute angle to the pivotal axis of said retaining pawl, an actuating lever pivotally mounted on said frame having two lever arms thereon, a slide member slidalbly mounted on said frame having an inclined'portion substantially complemental to and disposed adjacent the inclined surface of said second arm on said retaining pawl, means biasing said slide member toward one of said two lever arms, and an inclined cam portion on the other of said two lever arms,. said inclined cam portion being normally dis-posed adjacent to but in spaced relation to said first arm, said actuating lever being movable to engage said inclined cam with and rock said first arm to disengage said feeding pawl from said cartridge belt, and engage said one of said lever arms with and shift said slide to engage said inclined portion thereon with said inclined surface on said second arm and disengage said retaining pawl from said cartridge belt.

J OSEF DOBREMYSL.

. CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION. Patent No. 2, 85,780. August 28, 191 5. JOSEF DoBfiEMYsL.

It ishereby certified that; error appears in the printed specification of the above numbered patent requiring correction as follows: Page 2 first column, lines 27 to 29 inclusive strike out the words and period The width of the tooth 10 is such to make the tooth positively engage the lower end of the pawl 2 at any point of its movement; and that the said' Letters .Patent should be read with this correction therein that the same may conform to the record of the case in the Patent Office Signedand sealed this let day of January, A. D. 19146..

Leslie Frazer (Seal) First Assistant Commissioner of Patents v CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION.

Patent No. 2,585 ,780. August 28, 19l .5.

' JOSEF nosimnrsL.

It. ishereby certified that: error appears in the printed specification of the above numbered patent requiring correction as follows: Page 2 first lines. 27 to 29 inclusive strike out the words and period The the tooth positively engage" the lower and that the said' Letters column, width of the tooth 10 is such to make and of the pawl 2 at any point of its movement. yPatent should be read with this correction therein that the 5 form to the record of the case in the Patent Office Signed and sealed this 1st day of January, A. D. 19%..

ame may con- Leslie Frazer (Seal) First Assistant Commissioner of Patents 

